


Along The Way

by EternalHope7



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Kid Fic, Not Canon Compliant, Parental Plo Koon, Protective Plo Koon, Shmi Skywalker Lives, Short, Timeline What Timeline, Toddler Ahsoka Tano, Young Padme Amidala
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26018311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalHope7/pseuds/EternalHope7
Summary: A minor diversion to Naboo on the way back to Coruscant lands Plo Koon with a growing cluster of children. He's somewhat concerned by this.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala & Anakin Skywalker, Plo Koon & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 15
Kudos: 114





	1. Chapter 1

Plo Koon looked down as tiny fingers tugged at the fabric of his robe. The child, Ahsoka, let go and stretched her arms up to make grabbing motions at him. He smiled as he finished landing the ship, powering it down before he reached for the girl and picked her up. Standing from his seat the man gently held her as he walked toward the exit. Letting Ahsoka playfully flap the loose sleeves of his robe, Plo peered out when the door opened. He had never been to Naboo before - the tall buildings were just as elegant as they'd appeared in the holovids. He looked back down at his temporary charge. Large blue eyes met his. "I need you to stay here, Ahsoka," he murmured to her as he stepped away from the door and set her down. Her smile dropped into a frown. "I won't be long," Plo promised her as he offered her his hand. She took it and let him walk her back to the small guest room on the ship, her eyes lighting up as he pulled down his little chest of toys. The girl wasn't the first child he'd ever brought back to the Temple, but she was certainly the most enthusiastic about his simple collection. He put the chest on the floor and opened it for her, watching for a moment as she happily dug through the worn toys. "I'll be back soon," Plo promised her before he turned from the room and walked back to the exit. Surely they would be enough to keep her preoccupied until his return. The door slid open at Plo's approach and he stepped out as it shut.

"Master Jedi!" He turned - a human in tightly cut burgundy and blue leather stood in the entrance of an alleyway not far from him. "Come this way!" he waved. Plo joined the man in the shadows. "I'm Quarsh Panaka, captain of the security forces here."

"I am-" Plo began, but was cut off.

"Plo Koon," a woman said, stepping out into the open from the other end of the alley. She wore a sweeping red and black gown and Plo's eyes caught on her elaborate golden crown.

"Queen Amidala," he greeted her with a bow.

"Please," she gestured for him to straighten. "For the favor I'd ask of you, you may call me Jobal." Favor? "The Federation began their invasion the moment they let you pass - the streets will be swarming with their droids in a few minutes." He frowned and looked to the skies. " _Please_ ," the desperation in her voice made him look back to her, "none of our forces can outmaneuver that blockade, but we've heard of your skills as a pilot. You could get past them. Please," she begged him as she stepped aside, revealing four little girls dressed in bright orange dresses, "Ruwee and I can't leave our people, but _Padme_... Take her," the queen asked of him. "Take her to Coruscant, she'll be safe with Senator Palpatine." The woman looked him the eyes, startling him by sweeping into a deep bow. "Please, Master Jedi, you're our only hope."

"I will," he sincerely promised her. "The Jedi are already expecting me, no harm will come to your daughter or," he looked to the other little girls; the captain, "the people who travel with me."

"Thank you, Master Koon," the queen straightened, relief in her eyes. "Naboo will never forget the debt we owe you now."

"It is a Jedi's duty to protect the innocent," Plo told her, "you owe me nothing."

"Then please, take the gratitude of a mother," she said. He nodded. The woman knelt at the side of one of the little girls, pulling her into a hard hug. "I love you, Padme. Whatever happens, never forget that." She rose and stepped back.

"Mom?"

"Go with the Jedi and captain Panaka," the queen told her daughter, "you'll be safe with them."

"But-" The queen gave the girl one grief stricken last look before she turned and strode back down the alleyway, disappearing when she rounded the corner. "Mommy!" The captain caught the girl before she could run after her mother, lifting her up to hold her close as he looked to Plo.

"This way," the Jedi said. The group hurried out to his ship, Panaka entering first as the other little girls closely followed him. Plo came aboard last and headed straight for the cockpit. As he took his seat he checked his comms. Nothing. They were being jammed. Frowning, the Jedi started his ship up and sat forward as the engine thrummed. The fine buildings dropped away as the ship rose, blue skies darkening the higher they got. There were many Trade Federations ships waiting, a firm blockade that he trusted the Force to guide them through.


	2. Chapter 2

Quarsh leaned back out of his princess's reach, letting the girl continue to flail for several moments longer before he sat down in the hallway and pressed her to his chest.

"Let go!" She commanded through her tears, her little handmaids clustering around him as they watched her with concern. "I want mom! I _want_ -!" The ship shook with a blow and they all rocked with the motion. Quarsh held her closer as another hit struck the ship, the girls around him paling as they clustered tighter around him. He closed his eyes and prayed to the gods that the Jedi was as good as the king and queen had thought. If he wasn't... He relaxed at the next jolt, a smaller thing that signaled their entrance into hyperspace. Murmuring a quiet thanks he opened his eyes.

"Look!" Corde patted her princess's shoulder and pointed off to their left. Quarsh turned to look with her and was surprised to see that the door to a small room had slid open. He stared in surprise as a small tan and white face peered out at them. A Togruta? Here? He hadn't known there'd been anyone else aboard. Large blue eyes looked between them and even the princess quieted as she watched the little girl. "Here," Corde called out to her as she got on her knees to appear smaller, "what's your name?" The Togruta's eyes fixed on the princess as she slowly stepped out of the room. The tiny dress she wore swished with each hesitant step she took towards them and Quarsh sat as still as possible as they all watched her approach. She looked up at Corde before leaning past her to stare at the princess. Her small montrals swung with the motion as she cocked her head in curiosity. The other girls giggled at the look and the princess wiping her eyes as she straightened.

"Hi," Amidala quietly greeted her between sniffs. The Togruta blinked her large eyes. That got a smile from the princess and Quarsh let her go so the older girl could fully face the new arrival. "My name's Padme, what's yours?"

"Padme..." The little girl repeated. She then looked up at Corde. "Padme?"

"No," Corde shook her head. "I'm Corde." The Togruta frowned at that and then pointed past her at the princess.

"Corde?" Quarsh chuckled as he settled back against the wall, feeling another small jolt go through the ship as it began to slow and then completely stilled. Had they already arrived at Coruscant? The sound of footsteps approaching made him look up as the Jedi entered the hallway.

"You've met our new guests, Ahsoka," the Jedi said as the little girl lit up and hurried to his side. He obligingly picked her up when she reached for him. "Captain Panaka, are you and the girls all right?" Quarsh nodded. "I'm sorry, Captain," he tilted his head towards the man, "but that second hit nicked the hyperdrive. I need parts to repair the damage or the leak will strand us in space." Quarsh pushed himself up and stood, the handmaidens stepping back to give him room.

"Then where are we now, Master Jedi?"

"A small planet called Tatooine. Don't worry, captain, we won't be here long. If you would watch over little 'soka until I return, I'll find the parts that we need."

"Of course," Quarsh said as the Jedi put the Togruta down.

"I do have entertainment," Master Koon told him. "It might not be what the princess is used to," he gestured to the room the little girl had come from, "but what toys I do have might-"

"Come on, Padme!" Corde took the princess's hand and hurried off into it. The other girls followed and after a moment of hesitation, Ahsoka looking from the room to the Jedi and back again, the Togruta followed them.

"Thank you, Master Jedi, I think they'll be fine." That got him a look of warm amuesement from the man. Quarsh watched as he turned and left the hallway before he made his way to the small room and sat down against the wall opposite the children.


	3. Chapter 3

Mom dropped the wrench as she stared down at their master. The ugly thing was still alive, he could see its shallow shallow breaths, but...

"Mom?" Anakin whispered. She'd- He couldn't believe it. She'd actually done it. Taken their master down. Mom's hands were shaking as she crouched down and reached for him. She pulled him into a tight hug and Anakin buried his face in her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Ani? He... he didn't hurt you too bad?" Anakin shook his head. She'd gotten to them before it had gotten worse. "Good," she murmured, pulling back to gently touch his bruised cheek. "I- Good." Her fingers trembled.

"What're we gonna do, mom?" he asked her. If they got lucky their master wouldn't remember anything when he woke up. If he _did_... He'd make mom leave. Or, or hurt her - Anakin didn't want that!

"We're leaving," mom told him as the uncertainty in her voice changed to determination.

"Where?" the boy asked. Mom didn't have a lot of friends outside of town and no one would take them in once word got around about what had happened. He knew they couldn't make it in the desert. If the Tusken Raiders didn't get them first the thirst would. Anakin... Anakin didn't know what to do.

"Come," mom said as she reached down to take his hand. Stepping over their master she led him towards the door. It hissed open, the bright light of the suns making them both blink as their eyes adjusted to the-

A tall alien stood just outside the doorway and mom gasped as she pulled Anakin back behind her. The alien looked past them. Saw their master. Looked down at them. He wasn't sure why but he just _knew_ the stranger was looking at him - his cheek. The bruise. Mom drew back as the alien crouched in the doorway. Her hands tightened on Anakin's shoulders.

"Are you alright, little one?" the alien asked.


End file.
